August 15, 2013

Vanderbilt

Perhaps it was meant to be. Vanderbilt was looking to replace Robbie Caldwell as coach after a 2-10 season in 2010. The Commodores first courted Gus Malzahn, but the then-Auburn assistant turned down a five-year $15 million offer. (A year later Malzahn accepted the Arkansas State job for "only" $800,000 a year, but that's a story for another day.)

James Franklin was an assistant at Maryland and had a coach-in-waiting deal to succeed Ralph Friedgen. When the Terrapins parted ways with Friedgen, they also opted not to honor the agreement with Franklin. In swooped Vanderbilt.

The Commodores couldn't be happier. The team has gone to bowl games in Franklin's first two seasons and won nine games last year.